Since his very first picture book will officially hit shelves this coming Tuesday, September 19, we wanted to congratulate him and hear all about Flashlight Night, which was illustrated by Fred Koehler and published by Boyds Mills Press.

Written in rhyming couplets, the story follows three kids (two boys and a girl) who camp out in a tree house and roam around the back yard in search of adventure. The older boy leads the way with his trusty flashlight, that magically transforms everything in its beam to an imagined world of wonder, excitement and harrowing escapes.

FLASHLIGHT . . . opens up the night.

Leads you past old post and railalong a long-forgotten trail

into woods no others dare,for fear of what is waiting there

They venture “down a dark and ancient hall,” encountering an Egyptian tomb, then pass through “a peculiar door” and board a ship on the high seas, where they must battle a sword-brandishing pirate and a giant purple squid.

Koehler’s ingenious illustrations depict the dramatic transformations from real to imagined: a striped cat becomes a ferocious tiger, water trickling from a garden hose becomes a torrent of rushing water, the space beneath the deck is the long-forgotten tomb, the above-ground pool is the ocean.

Each page turn heightens the suspense as the trio is ultimately rescued via hot air balloon. Once safe and sound back in their tree house, they resume reading together, the flashlight illuminating a stack of books that inspired their adventure.

I love how Fred expanded on Matt’s spare, evocative text with vivid, action-packed scenes marked by enriching textures and a boatload of interesting details. Kids will enjoy studying the demarcation between light and dark, and I was happy to see a girl and an African American boy included. And yes, we especially like the younger boy in footie pajamas carrying his teddy bear. 🙂

Flashlight Night has already earned a coveted *starred review* from Kirkus, which praised its “delicious language and ingenious metamorphoses.” This book is a wonderful celebration of imaginative play, the magic of reading, and creating your own old-fashioned fun. No need for fancy, expensive electronic toys. Here’s to a flashlight, a few books, and the unlimited power of the imagination!

How did Matt conceive of this story? Did he enjoy many flashlight nights when he was a kid? And what delicious recipe is he sharing with us today?

We thank him for visiting and extend our heartfelt congratulations on a fabulous picture book debut. Hooray for Flashlight Night!

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🔦 AUTHOR CHAT WITH MATT FORREST ESENWINE 🐙

How does it feel to have your first picture book out in the world? Was there a flashlight adventure from your own childhood that inspired this story?

It feels great! It’s also a bit surprising, to be honest, because I snuck into the world of children’s literature by way of poetry, so I had always thought my first book – should I be fortunate to even have a first book – would be a poetry collection.

There was no particular flashlight adventure on which this was based, although growing up in rural New Hampshire (and still living here!) has definitely influenced my writing.

Tell us briefly about your book’s path to publication, from initial spark to finished manuscript. Overall, was there anything that particularly surprised you?

I was driving home late one summer night in 2014, following an informal gathering of local SCBWI members, when the idea of a flashlight “opening up the night” suddenly came upon me. I suppose it had something to do with my lonely headlights piercing the darkness, all alone on a Massachusetts road.

I started putting some words and images together and came up with the opening stanza and most of the closing stanza right then. (At this point, I didn’t know if it was a poem or picture book). During the course of the following week, I continued working on it and had the first draft completed by the end of the week. A few more weeks of tweaking here and there, and it was done – which was probably the most surprising part of the entire process!

Which part of the writing process do you enjoy most? Do you have any particular writing rituals to get you started and/or keep you going?

Writing a poem is like creating a word puzzle, which is probably why I love it so much; as a kid, I used to create word finds and crosswords for my teachers to pass out in class (remember mimeographs and Xeroxes??). So now I get to play with words as a career, which is complete joy – no matter how mind-boggling or nerve-wracking the poem or story might be. I love finding the right words not only for descriptive purposes, but for alliterative and rhyming purposes, as well.

And the only ‘ritual’ I have with regards to writing is sitting in my chair, banging out text. When I was younger, I used to wait for inspiration to strike, but now that I’ve been doing this for so long, I realize Jane Yolen’s BIC Rule (Butt In Chair) is really the best advice!

Beginning picture book writers are often told to avoid rhyming texts. Do you have any tips for keeping sing-song rhythms and predictable rhymes in check?

As many others before me have stated, the story needs to come first. I’ve written a couple of manuscripts in prose, but most are in verse simply because the stories lend themselves to it. So if your story doesn’t need rhyming text, it can probably do without it. But if it is going to rhyme, one needs to try to avoid the simple, expected rhymes – and try to use more imaginative words when possible.

For example, in Flashlight Night, I could have used words like “boat,” “strange,” and “dark” to describe some of my scenes, but I instead chose “vessel,” “peculiar,” and “inky,” which are so much fun to say! So whether you are rhyming or not, spend some extra time with your text and see what you can do to enliven the vocabulary a bit. Even if a child is unfamiliar with a word, the definition can very often be gleaned based on the context of how it’s being used.

Matt reading a tasty picture book with his kids.

Once your manuscript was accepted, did you have to do many revisions? What are some of the things you learned from working with your editor?

It’s funny…Jane Yolen told me to be prepared for a long list of revisions, which is not uncommon, of course – yet my editor only requested 4 or 5 edits, which I took care of pretty quickly! While I tried to be ambiguous about certain scenes in order to allow an illustrator to have plenty of fun with the text, my editor, the wonderful Rebecca Davis at Boyds Mills Press, pushed me even more to find better words (see my comment, above, about word choice!). And our illustrator, Fred Koehler, went a completely different route with my original ending, so I ended up needing to alter the last couple of pages of text in order to get his vision and mine to marry.

Which children’s book authors and poets do you think have had the most influence on your work? Were there any particular picture books that inspired Flashlight Night?

I can’t say any one picture book specifically inspired Flashlight Night, but I will say that every poem, song, and story I’ve read has somehow influenced my style and interests. I attribute my love of rhyme and poetic structure to Robert Frost and William Shakespeare; my appreciation for children’s poetry to Dorothy Aldis and Shel Silverstein; my sense of humor to Monty Python and Stan Freberg; and my love of mystery to Chris Van Allsburg and Isaac Asimov.

Without a doubt, I am continually influenced by many of the wonderful folks in children’s literature today with whom I’ve had the pleasure of befriending: Lee Bennett Hopkins, Charles Ghigna, David Harrison, Jane Yolen. I recall Charles once telling me a couple years ago that he was my biggest fan – which totally floored me! Jane once made my heart soar when she said a particular short verse I’d written was ‘masterfully rhymed.’ And I remember when Nikki Grimes started following me on Twitter and told me she was a fan…and I couldn’t help wonder why, ha! I kept thinking, “You’re NIKKI GRIMES – why on earth would you be a fan of ME?!?”

I wouldn’t have even met my editor, Rebecca, had Lee not taken a vested interest in my career and introduced us a few years ago; for that, I’m forever in his debt.

Fred Koehler’s illustrations are brilliant. Did the two of you communicate at all about the art for the book (or did you include any illustration notes with your manuscript)? Was it his choice to include three children in the story and the stack of books at the end?

Fred & I didn’t communicate that much during the process, although Rebecca kept me in the loop as to what his vision was and how he was approaching the task. The only illustration note I included in my manuscript was to indicate at the very end that a child was reading a book under the covers; without that note, the story would not entirely make sense. So I think Fred did a fantastic job of taking my words and imagery and really making it his own. The book is truly greater than the sum of its parts!

Describe how it felt to see Fred’s illustrations for the first time. Which is your favorite and why?

The first illustration I saw was an initial sketch Fred made for Rebecca – before he even signed the contract – to show her his idea for the style of the illustrations and his concept for the sub-narrative of reality being the darkness while the fantasy is illuminated by the light. He ended up selling the picture before we met, so I’m disappointed I don’t have it, but it will always be a favourite of mine. My other favourite – which seems to be a favourite of everyone who sees the book – is the spread featuring the Kraken crawling through the stones.

Please describe what might be in Matt Forrest Esenwine’s flashlight beam at age 5 or 6. What’s in his beam now?

Hmmm…when I was 5 or 6 I was living in Pinardville, New Hampshire, a little area just outside of the state’s largest city, Manchester. It was suburbia, but we had a little bit of woods and a stream running behind our property, so I used to enjoy pretending I was a hunter or a policeman or Zorro, fighting off the bad guys!

These days, I’m happy to say my flashlight beam and my reality have been merging: my dream of becoming published in children’s literature quickly became reality in 2015 when I had a poem published in Lee Bennett Hopkins’ Lullaby & Kisses Sweet (Abrams Appleseed), and between then and 2019, I’ll have had 24+ children’s poems published and two picture books – so that line separating reality from fantasy has grown quite thin!

What do you hope kids will take away from your book?

A sense of wonder (I know, a cliché answer, but it’s true!) and an inspired imagination.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about Flashlight Night?

I would just add that this book is proof that with determination, hard work, and time spent learning one’s craft, dreams can be realized. I’ve been writing all my life and have had numerous adult poems published around the country, but I did not decide to approach children’s lit as a serious career change until 2010, so the fact that I’ve come as far as I have speaks volumes to the importance of time, talent, and tenacity. And as I always say, whatever I lack in talent I try to make up for in hustle!

What’s next for you?

My second picture book, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books), co-authored with Deborah Bruss (Book! Book! Book!, Big Box for Ben) comes out this spring! I also have a couple of poems in different places: ‘Soccer Sides’ can be found in Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s Poems are Teachers (Heinemann), out this fall; ‘Bus Driver’ will appear in Lee Bennett Hopkins’ new anthology, School People (Boyds Mills Press, Spring, 2018); and three other poems will be included in three other anthologies scheduled for Fall 2018 and 2019.

I also have about 7 or 8 manuscripts I’m submitting to various publishers and agents at present, including one rhyming picture book inspired by a certain kid-lit/foodie blogger we both know!

Could you please share a favorite recipe, something you make with or for your kids?

The recipe [for Salted Chocolate Chip Cutouts] is something I came up with earlier this year. A friend of mine told me he loved my chocolate chip cookies and asked what I do to make them taste so good; I told him the only thing I do ‘differently’ is that I tend to use a dash more salt than normal, which helps balance the sweet-saltiness. So I started thinking about how to better define that balance – and one day when the kids & I were making sugar cookies (they both love baking), it hit me: Use salt on top instead of sugar!

Of course, you can’t use as much, because it would make the cookies way too salty — but by keeping salt out of the recipe, it helps underscore those two tastes.

It took awhile to get the dough just right (I wanted a classic chocolate chip cookie dough flavor, but it had to be able to roll out and maintain its shape) — but I think this fits the bill.

Matt’s son rolling out the dough.

Matt’s daughter cutting out flashlight-shaped cookies.

Brushing on butter.

Sprinkling on coarse sea salt.

Yum!

Matt's Salted Chocolate Chip Cutouts

This recipe uses salt not only as a flavor enhancer but as a garnish, so it’s important to use unsalted butter in the recipe so the cookies don’t come out too salty. Also be sure to not use too much salt on top – just a light sprinkling is all you need!

Directions

Mix flour and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat ½ cup butter, sugar, corn syrup, molasses, water, and vanilla until blended. On low speed, add flour just until well combined – do not overmix – then stir in chips by hand. Dough will be a bit crumbly; that’s ok. Chill at least 30 minutes, or even a couple days in advance.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch (if in doubt, dough should be no thicker than the width of a chip), cut into shapes, and place 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Be careful not to handle the dough too much, or the chips will start melting. Brush on the melted butter, then sprinkle with salt – but with not too heavy a hand! Bake until slightly browned: 6-7 minutes for softer cookies, 7-8 minutes if you prefer crispy. Let rest a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.

The publisher is generously providing a copy of Flashlight Night for one lucky Alphabet Soup reader. For a chance to win, please leave a comment at this post no later than midnight (EDT) Wednesday, September 20, 2017. You may also enter by sending an email with “FLASHLIGHT” in the subject line to: readermail (at) jamakimrattigan (dot) com. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only, please. Good Luck!

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The ever charming and talented Michelle Heidenrich Barnes is hosting the roundup at Today’s Little Ditty. Sail over and check out the full menu of poetic goodness being shared in the blogosphere this week!

Yes, Jama, thank you! I love the interview you did. I learned some fun things I didn’t know about Matt (I can just imagine him putting together word finds and crossword puzzles as a kid). And that pirate and your hot-dog Kraken are AMAZING!

Thanks, Rebecca – yep, I was the geeky kid in school who used to read the dictionary and encyclopedia sets for fun. (seriously!) And thank you especially for the opportunity to share “Flashlight Night” with the world!

Loved this interview! Congratulations, Matt–the book looks wonderful! And I’m a big fan of Fred Koehler’s work–looks like a perfect pairing. Your kids are adorable, by the way. So glad to see your daughter wears a bike helmet while baking. 🙂

Thanks! Ha, yes, she loves that helmet – I think I’d just gotten it for her a day or two before, and she was wearing it all the time. If you’ve ever seen “Chopped,” you know one can never be too careful in the kitchen.

WHAT a wonderful post, Jama. Matt is so gracious in mentioning other poets — including me. I believed in him and his work from the very beginning, knowing there is so much more to come from his talented pen.

I’ve been really looking forward to this interview! Needless to say, I’m not at all disappointed… though I am slightly scared of that Krakenweiner. 😉 It was fascinating to find out more about the process of merging author and illustrator visions of what this book could be. And the results? Amazing! Looking forward to trying Matt’s cookie recipe too. Thanks, Jama, and congratulations to Matt, Fred, and Rebecca!

Love hearing more from Matt, Jama, and OH! those cookies look delicious. Don’t put me in the drawing; I have my own & so do the grand-girls, thanks to my winning Matt’s drawing, lucky me! I do adore this book, still love the promise of that opening: “into woods no others dare,/for fear of what is waiting there.” I think it will be a favorite for a long, long time. And I love Fred’s art, a perfect collaboration! Your ‘foodie’ illustrations add to the flavor too! Thanks for a “lit-up” post!

Congrats, Matt. Great post, Jama. I love the pirate and kraken-dog. The picture of Matt with his kids was very sweet. Fascinating how much the illustrator added, even to changing the ending a bit. How fortunate you were to find a great mentor who believes in you, Matt.

Thank you, Brenda. This is why I always tell people how important SCBWI conferences are; it’s not just the education, inspiration, and camaraderie that are important – it’s the networking! My best to you with your writing…you know I enjoy it!

Thanks, Jama and Matt, for this wonderful interview. Learning more about Matt, his process, and his journey is interesting. I’m lucky enough to have read this book and it’s so worthy of the starred review it received from Kirkus. It’s a book I’ll treasure and I’m thrilled, but not surprised that Matt’s debut is so exceptional.

The cookies sound yummy! And I do love Mr. C’s snack additions! So entertaining!

What a fun post, Jama! Congrats on a wonderful debut, Matt! It’s not easy to please Kirkus apparently, so bonus points for getting that starred review! I’m kind of dubious about salt on chocolate chip cookies, so this theory will require intense further study to discover the truth. 😉

Thanks so much, Barbara! The thing with choc. chip cookies is, their distinct flavor comes from brown sugar in the batter along with salt, which tempers the sweetness. All I’ve done is remove the salt from the batter and sprinkle it on top, to provide a more intense balance of salty/sweet, if that makes sense. (You can cut the recipe in half and test them out, if you want!)

It looks like Matt has great cookie-making helpers! They look like charming first readers, too. Congrats, Matt, on all the success! (I think that tomb illustration might be my favorite…but it’s hard to say. They’re all so good!)

I would like to swallow this book by Matt and Fred whole! What a fabulous feature…and even a recipe, which I am going to try for sure. Maybe with a pumpkin cutter. 🙂 Thank you both! Here’s to FLASHLIGHT NIGHT as well as the forthcoming book and poems in Matt’s flashlight beam. xo

I appreciate that, Jacquie! Fred felt the same way, as he told our editor the manuscript reminded him of the classic books he used to read as a child – which is why he wanted to do it all by hand, to give it that real “classic” sort of feel.

Thanks, Jama and Matt, for this delicious post! This is just the kind of book my kids would have devoured… here’s to adventures and imagination, and yes, Matt, to hustle and amping up the language. Well done! And I am totally stealing that hot dog-kraken idea when my octopus book comes out next year. 🙂 OH. And I am totally making these cookies! Appreciate the reminder about the unsalted butter. 🙂 xo

Yay – Mine is the 50th comment. Does that mean I win the book? ;0)
CONGRATS again, Matt, on this treasure which is already a hit out of the starting gate. And those illustrations by Fred K. – WOW on top of Wow. My favorite image above, though, is probably that camo bike helmet on our young baker….
Thanks, Jama, for sharing all. Now that the hurricane has come and gone, I need to catch up on your recent posts! Happy to see Mr. C. is in the thick of everything after his summer respite. XO

Thanks, Robyn! I asked my daughter if she could remove the helmet for the photos. and she said, “No, you can just take the pictures with my new helmet on.” I wasn’t going to try arguing with a then 3-yr-old!

Glad you fared okay from the hurricane, Robyn. Mr C is up to his usual antics. He’s extra busy these days. Nice try with the 50th comment thing. Only M. Random Integer Generator knows who the winner will be :D.

I love hearing about the journey of a book, thanks for sharing this rich adventure Matt and Jama! I’m particularly drawn to this story for I read nightly by a book light often into the wee hours. Congrats again Matt!

I’m really enjoying watching the success of Flashlight Night. It’s a beautiful book and each time I see a page online (I don’t yet have my copy) I am reminded of Maurice Sendak’s illustrations. I love how kids are KIDS in this book and the universal appeal of imagination still runs wild. Many congratulations to Matt & Fred. I wish you more and more and more books in print.

Thanks so much, Linda! Fred used a color palette similar to Sendak’s “Wild Things,” .because he liked the tone of both books – nighttime, adventure, imagination – and I’m beside myself knowing how many folks like this book!

What a cool idea, Matt, and you made it into such a wonderful book! When I was young I tried reading under the covers with a flashlight, but my little sister in the bunk below ratted me out. By the way, those cookies have one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie factors—LOTS of chocolate chips!

Excellent interview, Jama! I am looking forward to reading Matt’s new book. I have put it on my list of books to get for my granddaughters–both of whom love playing with flashlights. I am hoping that I get a chance to meet Matt one day as I live just one state away in Massachusetts.

Beautiful!!! Book AND interview! I’m sitting back like a proud papa basking in the glory of all your new accomplishments. You certainly deserve all the accolades. And you’ve only just begun! It will be fun watching your talent and tenacity continue to soar!

Great interview, Jama and Matt! I remember meeting Matt at an SCBWI N E Conference. He had just been told that his kid lit poems were wonderful but a bit too much like those of a certain famous children’s poet with the initials S.S. to be marketable! Matt’s talent and persistence has indeed brought him to this happy place where we can celebrate with him . I love reading the backstory to Flashlight Night. As always, your photos are the icing on your wonderful posts, Jama. I see Mr. Cornelius and friends love Matt’s book!

Thank you so much, Joyce – hard to believe it’s been 7 years since that first conference. I remember people saying how difficult poetry was to market, but for some reason I was undeterred! Hope to see you again soon.

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